Made on Earth

Toothpick Artistry by Bruce Stewart
Using just small hand tools, enormous patience, and lots of toothpicks, Steven J. Backman creates amazingly intricate works of art. Page 18

Quickup Camper by Jon Kalish
Jay Baldwin has designed and built a prototype for what he calls the Quickup Camper, a collapsible camper top that transforms a standard-sized pickup truck into a fuel-efficient, highly maneuverable recreational vehicle. Page 20

Invisible Sculpture by Thomas Walker Wilson
Artist Michel de Broin affixed pieces of mirror to a rock, maintaining its contours, until the rock's surface was entirely covered in mirrors. Page 21

Tools of Artistry by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith
Chris Bathgate's intricate sculptures showcase the perfection of metal and the nuts and bolts of machining. Page 22

Biker Laundry by Shawn Connally
John Wells' Bike-O-Worsher works just like any washing machine - you pedal forward for the agitation and pedal backwards for the spin cycle. Page 23

Backyard in Motion by Laura Kiniry


Retired mechanical contractor Bill McHugh has spent more than 40 years creating fun kinetic sculptures that run on air, sun, water, birds, and most typically, squirrels. Page 24

Cinema with Sol by Jerry James Stone
A tiny, solar-powered cinema is making its way across Europe, promising patrons an intimate movie-viewing experience and red-carpet treatment. Page 25

1+2+3

Urban Survival Button by Cy Tymony
Prepare yourself by making a Sneaky Button Survival Kit, which contains practical items you can use to protect yourself in urban situations. Page 40

PET Bottle Purse by Zitta Schnitt
Build a cool purse out of the bottoms of 2 PET bottles and a zipper. Page 80

Maker

Code 72 by Lee D. Zlotoff
Meet the real-life MacGyvers who engineer life-or-death solutions while the clock ticks. Page 30

Things of Science by Bob Knetzger
Miniature monthly science surprises! Page 36

SPECIAL SECTION: Special Section

Getting Started with Microcontrollers by Tom Igoe
Choose the right controller for your project and your skill level. Page 42

Vintage VoIP by Andrew Lewis
Convert a classic 1930s telephone into a Skype phone. Page 46

Drag-n-Drop Arduino Programming by Ed Baafi
Modkit makes microcontrollers easy for kids and anyone else. Page 52

Yobot: Precision Fermentation by Chris Reilly
Build your own smart yogurt maker. Page 57

Primer: Make and Use an Arduino by Dale Wheat
Build and program a microcontroller clone with no soldering. Page 62

Get in the Game by Tom Igoe
Make all kinds of game controllers using an accelerometer or other sensors. Page 71

Micromania
Everything Arduino: Resources, kids and parts, cool projects and people.

Swinging in the Rain
iPhone LED Suit
The Uberhoop
Foiled Again!
40 Top Projects
Mega Claw Grabs a Prize
Flying Wi-Fi Sniffer
Blu Robotics Kits
A Shield for That
Retro Gaming Future
TickTack3
Say You Want A Revolution
A-Blocks
Simon Says Solder
Ethernet Power
MAKE's Essential Arduino Site
Crash Course
The Cheat Sheet
The 1-Minute Microcontroller Page 74

Projects

$5 HeliRocket by Doug Desrochers

Use toilet paper tubes, coat hangers, and rubber bands to build a high-flying model rocket that transforms into a helicopter midflight, then spins dramatically back down to Earth. Page 82

Secret Knock Gumball Machine by Steve Hoefer
Make a cute candy vending machine that only dispenses treats when you knock the secret rhythm on its front panel. Page 92

Sous Vide Immersion Cooker by Scott Heimendinger
I'm fascinated by sous vide cooking, in which foods vacuum-sealed in plastic are immersed in a precisely temperature-controlled hot water bath to achieve optimal doneness. Page 104

Welcome

The Little Engine That Could by Dale Dougherty
An Arduino board is cheap enough that you wouldn't feel bad breaking it, burning it up, or leaving it behind in a project. Page 10

In the Maker Shed

The MakerShield by Dan Woods
The ultimate open source prototyping shield for Arduino and Netduino microcontrollers. Page 11

Reader Input

Reader Input
Jailbreak catch-22, kids love robots, ladder logic, and space zillionaires. Page 12

Making Trouble

The Art of Productive Procrastination by Saul Griffith
Flip between two projects to prevent focus fatigue. Page 13

Maker's Calendar

Maker's Calendar by William Gurstelle
Our favorite events from around the world. Page 15

Make Free

Untouched by Human Hands by Cory Doctorow
Is there a boardroom somewhere trying to figure out how to make your next Happy Meal toy, laptop, or Ikea table look like it was handmade by a MAKE reader? Page 16

Country Scientist

Capturing and Studying Airborne Dust, Smoke, and Spores by Forrest Mims III
In this column we'll experiment with the simplest air samplers, those that rely on gravity or wind to deposit particles in the air onto adhesive tape or a bare microscope slide. Page 26

Tales from the Web

The Computer with 1,000 Faces by Gareth Branwyn
Here are a few cool Arduino projects of staggering diversity from Make: Online. Page 29

Skill Builder

Holography by Frank DeFreitas
Capture magical 3D images without a camera. Page 116

DIY: Outdoors

Your Own Honey Cow by Abe Connally
Make a simple beehive and enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor. Page 123

Making a Cage Trap by William Gurstelle
Catch pesky animals humanely with a homemade slammer. Page 126

DIY: Imaging

Laser Pointer Printer by James Underwood, Leland Sindt
A scanning laser "paints" on photo paper. Page 129

DIY: Office

LED Paper Cutter Assist by Larry Cotton
Modify an el-cheapo paper cutter to make it way more accurate. Page 133

DIY: Toys

Giant Spin Art by Pete Goldstein, Bob Goldstein
Spin canvases at high speed and drop paint on them. Page 136

DIY: Home

Solar TV Remote by Sparkle Labs
Juice your flipper with sunlight. Page 138

DIY: Workshop

Faux Flames by William Gurstelle
Make realistic fake fire, using fabric, a fan, and some LEDs. Page 140

Make Money

Scrabble by Tom Parker
Sometimes it costs more to buy it than to make it from the money itself. Page 143

Build Notes

Reverse Geocache Puzzle Box by Mikal Hart
This locked gift box guides recipients to the only place on Earth where it will open. Page 144

Electronics: Fun and Fundamentals

A Trippy Crystal Nightlight by Charles Platt
Create any color, using 3 LEDs and the trick of pulse-width modulation. Page 148

MakeShift

Zombie Attack! by Lee D. Zlotoff
Battle your way through brain-hungry zombies to arrive - bite free - to a secure school two miles away. Page 152

Howtoons

I made it. I can fix it. by Saul Griffith
The motto for the next generation of makers! Page 154

Toolbox

Toolbox
Build a village, clock your speed, wear sunglasses at night, craft a canoe, and geek out your garb. Page 156

Eureka!

Eureka! by Roy Doty
Use your maker skills to ensure that your reserved parking spot remains yours alone. Page 158

Toy Inventor's Notebook

Amazing Maker Marble Maze by Bob Knetzger
Page 164

Dangerous Things

Lick a 9-Volt Battery by Julie Spiegler, Gever Tulley
Taste electricity. Page 166

Heirloom Technology

Carve Inscriptions in Stone by Tim Anderson
Send a message to eternity. Page 168

Remaking History

The Chinese Windlass by William Gurstelle
British soldiers, encamped on the outskirts of Beijing after the war, took note of an ingenious device being used to raise and lower drawbridges. Page 170

Homebrew

My Own Visible Computer by Kevin Quiggle
For my most recent PC build, I wanted to show the working parts as much as possible. Page 176